US Coast Guard Rescues 4 People from Downed Plane

During its more than 50-year history, Air Station New Orleans has saved more than 5,600 lives and is the busiest of all helicopter search and rescue air stations in the Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Lehmann
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The Associated Press7 Feb 2018

NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued four people from a downed plane in Louisiana.

A U.S. Coast Guard release says four people were traveling in the Piper PA-34 twin-engine plane from the Louisiana towns of Slidell to Patterson on Tuesday when the plane began to run low on fuel.

Authorities say the pilot shut the engines down to conserve fuel and made an emergency landing in the Atchafalaya River, about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Patterson.

A helicopter was dispatched from the Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, hoisted the four people into the chopper, and took them to Patterson.